Together. Outside. Deepening relationships. Breathing fresh air. Connecting with nature. Reinvigorating minds and bodies. Enriching lives. This is what we’re all about at Under Canvas.
So it came to no one’s surprise when Under Canvas Cofounder Sarah Dusek rallied the team together after reading findings from a bankrate.com study that 39 million Americans would forego a summer vacation this year due to financial constraints. Something had to be done!
It was time for us to take the mission and beliefs of Under Canvas and apply them in a new way. We wanted to make a difference in the lives of those who couldn’t afford a summer vacation. We wanted families to be able to escape to the great outdoors and experience the physical and mental health benefits of being outside. We wanted to give people the opportunity to strengthen relationships. We wanted people to be able to unplug and connect with nature. We wanted to live our belief that getting #outsidetogether is a human right, not a privilege for a few.
With excitement running high, within days of conception, the #paywhatyoucan initiative went live!
Through this online campaign we invited people who could not otherwise afford to get #OutsideTogether to #paywhatyoucan. We invited travelers and families who would otherwise go without a summer vacation to answer just a few questions to receive consideration for a stay at one of our eight camps. Between May 14 and June 4, we received over 2,000 applications!
Fittingly, on National Get Outside Day, we’re thrilled to announce that more than 800 families have been offered stays at our camps this summer. More than 40 families have already been booked and confirmed, with the team continuing to work to confirm many, many more. These families now have a unique opportunity to unplug, strengthen relationships, and experience the outdoors all while staying in the comfort and style of Under Canvas camps, affording them the summer vacation they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to have.
The entire team at Under Canvas is incredibly excited to welcome these wonderful families, who have shared touching stories with us, and serve as a conduit through which life-long memories will be made. We are privileged to have these families at our camps as they make their summer vacation dreams come true. #OutsideTogether!
*Photo Credit: Dreamtown